The Tracker
by KdMac
Summary: The hunt from James' perspective. Takes place from when James meets the Cullens to when he dies. This is my first fanfic. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The Tracker.

**Disclaimer:**

**Let's just get this straight right now, I am not Stephenie Meyer and I don't own any of her books, characters, or storylines, etc….**

Chapter 1

James' P.O.V-

We were walking through the forest that surrounds the tiny town of Forks. How lovely it would have been if we could've hunted there. If it weren't for the other vampires that we smelled, we would have hunted there already. But Laurent insisted on our checking this coven of vampires out, to see if they posed a threat, of course. Although we were just passing through, Victoria wanted to be sure that feeding here wouldn't be a reason for them to attack. We could tell by their many smells that their coven was a large one indeed. Making them mad would not be in our best interest.

That's when we heard a sound like two boulders crashing into each other. We knew that it wasn't the thunder that was sounding to our left, over Forks. It was a game. A baseball game! How I loved to play America's favorite pastime. Victoria, of course, knew this, but Laurent didn't appreciate baseball like the rest of us. Seeing how he was from France, sports were not his area of expertise. Victoria and I convinced him that he could just watch from the sidelines while we played. The two of us could keep the teams even in any case.

We followed the sound of the game, but it seemed like as soon as we made the decision to come, the hitting stopped. It picked up again shortly after, but the hits were not as hard and there were no sounds of them tagging each other out. When we got close enough that we were sure they could smell us, the game stopped altogether.

When we appeared on the far side of the field, we were shocked at their numbers. There were eight of them. The closest vampire to us was a blonde, who looked like he was the leader. He was flanked on one side by a skinny blonde and on his other by a burly, brown haired vampire that I could tell was trying to be a little too threatening for his own good. I decided to let Laurent take the lead and introduce us.

As I looked around, I could tell that Victoria was being too edgy by her stance. The skinny blonde looked at Victoria and the next thing I knew, I felt all too calm. Of course, I was in the direct path of his gaze and Victoria, so she didn't get the feeling as much as I. While Laurent and Carlisle, the leader, were chatting, I noticed that the others seemed to be positioned around one person in particular. I listened while Carlisle introduced them. It looked like they were all shielding Bella from our wandering gaze.

Just then, the wind picked up. Everybody in Carlisle's clan froze. I then understood why they were shielding Bella from us. She was _human_. She smelled delicious, like flowers of some sort, but something else too. I was already thirsty when we got here, but now I was going mad. Victoria sent me a worried look as Edward stepped forward into a fighting stance to protect Bella. That did it. That little gesture caused me to go ballistic.

I had only ever lost one victim in a hunt, and I knew that she was standing in the meadow with me, with no clue of who I was. Alice. She smelled so much better than Bella, the human she was protecting now. I knew that as soon as I started, I couldn't stop. This whole coven of seven, all focused on protecting this _human_. It was the chance of a lifetime. I knew that they had no intension on changing Bella. Otherwise, she wouldn't be standing there, needing protection. If they wouldn't change her, she was doomed. I liked those odds.

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**hey guys, i hope you liked it. i will be updating soon.**

**please review. this is my first fanfic.**

**like i said... REVIEW!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer-

I am not Stephenie Meyer and do not own any of her books, characters, etc.

Chapter 2

Although Laurent was just as surprised as the rest of us, he hid his thirst more easily to talk to Carlisle.

"Brought a snack did you?"

"No, she's with us." Carlisle replied.

"But she's _human_." Laurent stated with disgust.

"I said she's with us." Carlisle retorted. He was trying to keep the peace but remain firm.

"It seems we have a lot to learn about each other." Laurent complied.

"Let's discuss this somewhere else, say, our home…."

Victoria was still on edge, her eyes flickering from the human girl to the Cullens. I on the other hand was planning how to get to Bella. It was not her blood that I desired; it was the thrill of the hunt. I wanted to know that I could get passed all of these vampires, who were all completely obsessed with this human girl, to know that I could outsmart them, outmaneuver them, seeing as they outnumbered us. I knew that Laurent only traveled with Victoria and me for convenience. He would probably not help in the hunt. It would not be worth risking his life to him.

Another wave of calming surged through us as Carlisle eyed the blond, Jasper, and continued to speak, to the others this time.

"Edward, Alice and Emmett, go get the Jeep. We will meet you at the house."

With that, Emmett, the burly brown haired one, walked over to Edward, Alice and Bella, while keeping his eyes on me. He was right not to trust me, of course, but now of all times, when they clearly had the upper hand, would not be a good time to attack. For one thing, Laurent would go hide in the woods, and Victoria would try to take on too many of them at once. No, now would be a horrible time to attack. I like to work from behind the scenes, to take them out one by one….

"We will be sure not to hunt in your land." Laurent said.

_WHAT!!! Why would you say such a thing when you know I want her?!_

As I thought these things, Edward stiffened. He must have heard my thoughts. Good, now I know what his talent is. He can read minds. I already knew that Jasper can influence the emotions of his company. Obviously, Emmett's ability was his strength. I had heard things about Alice's ability to _see_ things before she was changed, so I imagined that was her ability now, only on a much greater scale. This information would be useful to me when I attacked.

Edward started to pull Bella's arm impatiently toward the edge of the clearing. Once there, he scooped her up into his arms and ran, as fast as he could I imagine, away from us. His siblings couldn't keep pace.

Carlisle had started toward his house with Esme, Rosalie, Jasper and Laurent behind him. Victoria made no moves before me, so I quickly came up with an excuse to leave, Victoria trailing close behind.

We sprinted through the forest as fast as we could to catch up to Edward and company. We didn't come close to them, seeing as we were trying to tail them. They were driving around 115 miles per hour and then suddenly sped up. I thought the reason for this was that Edward could read my thoughts and knew we were close behind. I told Victoria to slow down so that hopefully we would be out of his range of hearing. We were about four miles away now but we could still hear the loud roar of the Jeep. Without reason, the Jeep slowed back down to 110 and then screeched to a stop.

Then, Edward, who was driving, swung the Jeep around and sped back toward Forks. I decided that this would be an excellent time for Victoria and me to regroup and start planning our next move.

"They are probably getting some of her things and then fleeing town. You go back to the Cullens' mansion and circle it. Keep moving so they can't catch you as easily. I don't know what the others' powers are yet. I'll follow them to wherever it is that they are going. Here, take this." I said as I handed her a cell phone. I kept one for myself. "I am your speed dial number two." I told her. Soon after, we hugged and departed.

Little did I know, the targets of my chase were headed to the Cullens' mansion. I knew that Laurent wouldn't get involved. He left the house before anything else happened. When something did happen though, it was not as I suspected. I smelled the girl leave the house with what smelled like Rosalie. They took her truck and left.

"I have to admit, I am a little skeptical about this. Why don't you follow them, I will wait here to see what the others do. Call me with any new information." And with that, Victoria left to go follow the ancient truck.

A few minutes later, Carlisle, Emmett and Edward left the mansion and got into a silver Volvo. I didn't know what they were doing, but I didn't like it. I also knew that Jasper, Alice and Esme were still in the house. I didn't think that it could do any harm leaving them there and following the Volvo, so I did. A few minutes after I left, I heard a phone call. I would barely make out what I did, but I heard, "Okay, he's following us. You can go." Either the group at the mansion was fleeing, or I had missed a vital clue as to what they were doing.

I followed the Volvo north for a period of about seven hours. I was being careful to stay outside the mind-reader's range of hearing. That's when Victoria called me.

"She's not with them! They've been going east for hours now and haven't stopped. Surely the human would have had to eat by now!"

"Maybe they brought food with them?"

"I would have smelled that." She said, like it was obvious.

"Are you sure the girl isn't just sleeping?"

"Do you really think that she could under this much stress?"

"Alright then, double back and stay in Forks. Search the high school for any information. Anything at all! Where she used to live, grades, class schedule, anything! Check at her house for anything else as well. I don't think that she would leave Charlie without an explanation for her sudden change of heart. Check the phone records as well. We need any and all information we can get on this human." Bella. No matter how far you run, how well you hide, I will find you. I swear it. And when I do, you will be in for more pain than you knew you could survive through. Of course, you won't survive for long….

"I'm on my way back right now. I don't think they know I've left yet, but they will." Victoria said, interrupting my wonderful thoughts of Bella's demise.

"Just remember, Victoria, my love, don't get caught, or you will surely die."

"I won't let myself get caught by these fools." She scoffed.

"That's my girl. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." _Click._

_So these buffoons think that they can fool me do they?_I thought. I decided to follow the Volvo until Victoria returned to Forks and got back to me with any new information. They were still heading north. We were coming to an area of Canada that was secluded; a place where no witnesses would be around if there was and "accident", a perfect place to stop and attack, a perfect place to utilize your vampire strength and destroy the surrounding area while brawling. As I thought about this I knew that I had been fooled already. They were leading me away from civilization to attack so that no unsuspecting soul would be harmed or lost. They were using the phrase "divide and conquer" quite literally. I had done this many times. Why hadn't I seen it coming? I supposed that I was just too busy focusing on getting to Bella that I hadn't imagined what they were focusing on.

I slowly fell back, and then made a break for it. I could only guess the time it took them to realize that I was gone. I knew that the Rosalie and, Esme I assumed, would follow Victoria back to Forks. I didn't want too many Cullens in one place at one time. If I lead Carlisle and company back to Forks and Victoria lured Esme and Rosalie there, the odds would be stacked against us. I usually liked, no, _loved _a challenge, but that wouldn't have been a challenge, it would've been suicide. No, I would run to some place sunny. I would run in the night and hide during the day. I wouldn't get far like that, but I couldn't go back to Forks. I wouldn't put Victoria in danger like that, I couldn't.

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**hey guys, i hope u liked it! i am still writing and as i said before, this is my first fanfic, so...**

**REVIEW!!!**

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	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: contrary to my fantasies, I do not own the Twilight books, characters, etc.

Chapter 3

I would have felt bad for using Victoria like this if it weren't for such a rewarding feeling of confidence and accomplishment and sheer victory at the end. She was an intelligent person who also had tactical genius beyond compare. She had a very observant eye, and was always on her toes. She never let her guard down. That was why we made such good assassins. I had the know-how and she had the instincts. The only way that she would stay with me when there was no target to chase, was to keep up this charade. I knew it was wrong to let her think that I loved her, but what other choice did I have? After all, this isn't something that you find very often and certainly not an opportunity to pass up. A coven of slightly superior vampires all strangely tied to this little insignificant blood sack. This blood sack had them wrapped around her tiny fragile finger. She should have just kept out of this world, whether it was her choice to be introduced to it or not. Now, she was due to experience the hazards of associating with the likes of us.

"She used to live in Phoenix, Arizona. She has mostly A's and a few B's on her transcripts, and the only calls that she has made have been to Phoenix and a place called La Push." Victoria said speaking with a slight urgency that I knew was due to our current circumstance.

"She was probably talking to some other humans, or it could have been Charlie. I want you to check it out for me, please. See whose number it was that was called and give me some guesses on their significance. I don't want any connections of hers to know about what is going on, human or not. Check the flight records of planes heading to, or from Phoenix. Tell me if any of the Cullens purchase plane tickets. If they do, tell me where they are headed to, how many tickets were purchased, and who it was that bought them. Most importantly, don't get caught snooping around. They must know by now that you have been checking at the school for any information, but they surely can't piece together our plan. We've not much time to prepare. They won't stay in one place for long. We mustn't underestimate them." I said calmly, but with authority. There shouldn't have been any room for mistake. It was vital to stay calm in such a situation. Knowing that we were "playing with fire" there was a chance that we would get burned. That was a chance that I couldn't take lightly.

I fled to Wyoming and thought out my plans. I could've held one of the human's friends hostage. She seemed selfless in the clearing. I could tell by her posture that she didn't worry about herself more than others. The way that her eyes swept across the faces of the Cullens, looking for something, something that meant danger, not for her, but them, told me that she worried for them. What a concept! To worry about a vampire! She is clearly the inferior race, needing the protection. Knowing this was an advantage. I knew that I couldn't involve another mortal in this hidden existence, not that I would be opposed to another slaughter, but that would just cause unneeded complications. If only there was another way to get this human alone with me. I would have to record this I knew it. I would keep a copy for myself for pure pleasure. Then, Edward would come to get me himself out of rage that would cloud his judgment. He would most likely come to kill me by himself. He would be easy to pick off then. But how could I get this human alone with me without involving another human?

That's when I got the idea. Victoria had told me that Bella had once lived in Phoenix. Like any other family, I could imagine that she had had films of her childhood. On those films was bound to be the voice of someone she was close to. Alice was probably watching out for any moves that I was making as well as Victoria. I had to keep my thoughts vague and not let her see what I was doing. I would have to keep all the lights turned off and travel by night so that there was no way that she could see what was happening in her visions. The only setback was that I had to know where the little blood sack was. She had to be close, or else she wouldn't be able to get to me without the accompaniment of her babysitters. I would still have to go to Arizona to get the videos. Hopefully, she would be close. I had heard news from Victoria that a note that Bella left for Charlie said that she was going to Arizona but I thought that was just a cover. What would the Cullens do in Arizona? Well, they were probably staying inside anyway, keeping out of sight, out of mind so to speak. Not knowing where to find Bella was a difficulty that could mean losing another target. That was unacceptable. She could be across the world by now. Well, I was still going to have to go to Arizona. Sunny Arizona. This was going to be a long few days. Traveling by night had its disadvantages. It would be worth it in the end.

I asked Victoria what the address was for Bella's old residence. I decided to go there first. Then I would go to someplace that was close or familiar to Bella, and wait there. This place had to be abandoned. There was no telling the damage that could be done, so having the possibility of someone interrupting my fun was not an option. At least, it was not an option that I preferred. A slow, painful death was due and an innocent bystander would completely ruin the mood. Of course, it would add to the panic, but a hasty kill would test my patience, and that would not do.

I soon found the house, and the props that I would need. I thought it was a nice touch to have a selection of fear and anxiety to be the lure for Bella. It seemed that her mother would be the _perfect_ bait. I watched the tape over and over again. "Bella, Bella!" her mom screeched. I noticed that on the tape, Bella was familiar with this tone of alarm in her mother's voice. _Perfect._ I thought.

I listened to the messages that were on the answering machine. The fools! Bella had called and left a phone number that Renée could reach her at. That was useful. As Alice answered, I mimicked Renée's voice perfectly. "Bella please." Alice handed the phone off. As Bella answered, I played a part of the video that had Renée shrieking in grief. Bella tried to explain to Renée that she should be calm. She paused when Renée hadn't cut her off. I took advantage to the silence.

"Renée is a little tied up at the moment Bella, do as I say and she will remain unharmed. Do not speak until I instruct you to."

The other end of the line was quiet.

"Good. Now say, 'yes, everything is fine mom'. Say it now."

"Yes, everything is fine mom." Her voice cracked at the end.

"Hmm, I see this will be more difficult than I expected," although I expected as much. You should never let your prey know that you have them figured out. It gives them confidence that you can take away easily. "Can you get away from your friends? Go to a different room maybe? Answer yes or no."

"Yes."

"Good. As you walk out of the room, say 'Stay calm and let me explain. Everything is fine.' Say it now."

"Stay calm and let me explain. Everything is fine."

"Good. Are you alone? Answer yes or no."

"Yes."

"But they can still hear you I'm sure. Now, do you think that you will be able to get away from your friends? Answer yes or no."

"No."

"That's too bad Bella. Do you think that you could get away from your friends if your mother's life was depending on it? Answer yes or no."

"Yes." she replied. Her voice cracked. This was going to be easier than I though.

"Good. Go to your house and on the whiteboard, you will find a phone number. Call it when you get there. I will give you further instruction when you call. Now, say 'Yes mom, everything is fine. I am fine, and you have no reason to rush home.' Say it now."

"Yes mom, everything is fine. I am fine, and you have no reason to rush home."

"Say, 'I love you mom.' Say it now."

"I love you mom." Once again, her voice cracked. I could hear the tears in her eyes. If I wasn't so cold hearted (no pun intended) I might have cared. But obviously, that wasn't the case.

"Good Bella. Please try to get to your house by noon. I have a busy schedule to keep to. Good bye." _Click._

Now all I had to do was wait. Patience was something that was usually in abundance within vampires. The anticipation was almost painful. If I couldn't get to her by the time that Edward and the others got there, it would be too late. I would have to trust Bella to care for her mother so much more than I would like. Putting the faith of the hunt in the prey's hands was not something done regularly.

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**My friends have been asking me to post this. I want to tell you all that I plan to update three times a week. If I fall short of that plan, my friends (you know who you are) can slap me. (Inside joke.)**

**Enjoy.**

**REVIEW!!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own the Twilight characters, story lines, blah, blah, blah….

Chapter 4

After leaving my cell number on the whiteboard next to the phone, I searched some more through Bella's home videos to find some place that she knew; some place that would suffice as a hideout for the next phase of my plans. As I fast-forwarded through the tapes, I saw Bella at a ballet recital. She was proving to be very clumsy. It was no wonder why they had placed her behind all of her peers. She attempted to pirouette and fell backwards, pulling the curtains on top of her and the rest of her class. In the process, she twisted her ankle and fell offstage. The next few clips of the video were of her working on getting her strength back in that part of her leg.

I noticed the name of the ballet studio that she practiced at. I had remembered seeing it on the way here. It was just down the street! It was also vacant; closed for spring break. Once again, my plans were coming together perfectly. Bella would surely try to get to her house as fast as possible to save her mother from nonexistent peril. How I loved it when the prey came running willingly. Of course, willingly is the key word. So I would wait for her to come to me there, to come to her death. And it would be said death that would lead to my greatest victory yet.

"What would you have me do?" Victoria challenged when I told her not to come to Phoenix to meet me.

"Well, if you come here, then they will know that I am here most definitely, so, you should lead them on a false trail. Go to some place like Hawaii to throw them off guard and keep them traveling at night. I am fairly certain that Alice has already seen me in Phoenix, but she doesn't know when I will appear there. If you go to Hawaii or some other place, they might think that we are going to plan our attack to a more precise degree. To keep them on the false trail, think from their perspective and keep them guessing. Don't let them assume your next move. If you become predictable, you will surely get caught."

"You are so concerned about my getting caught that you fail to see the incompetence of my alleged captors. I am not underestimating the enemy, I am stating fact. Like you said, I have an uncanny ability to remain unnoticed. Retaining invisibility comes to me naturally." I could hear the smile in her voice.

"You've no reason to fret, love. Leave the others to me while you handle Bella and her 'friends'. I will keep watching for transactions between the Cullens and any airports or subway stations. Have some faith in my ability to handle this situation." she said, trying to calm me down. I usually had a hold on my emotions during times when we were under pressure, but with such high risks involved, calm was not easily maintained.

"Hey, save some for me." Victoria chuckled. I rolled my eyes at her worry-free attitude.

"Just be careful." I told her, letting some authority color my tone.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Have fun."

"I believe that's inevitable." I smirked. _Click._

It was getting to be 8:30 and Bella was on her way, there was no doubt about that. I headed towards the ballet studio. Once again, my patience was withering away. I had set the scene to maximize the emotional stress. I turned off all the lights in the studio except one, lighting the room that I was in. I put the video of Bella's mother into the VCR and turned it on. I played it until it came to the part where Renée was calling her name, and then paused the tape. I would wait for Bella to come into earshot before resuming the façade. She would most likely be livid that I deceived her, mainly at herself for being fooled, but still, livid. I set up a camcorder in the corner of the room, to rub my victory in the faces of the Cullens. About 20 of a win was the satisfactory of winning and the other 80 was exploiting the bragging rights. The recording would also make for a great movie night, although popcorn was out of the question. I would have to make a copy of it for my own personal use.

"Hello Bella," I greeted her, growing far too anxious to tell her not to talk.

"Where is my mother?" she asked, obviously concerned. I could tell she was losing her calm. That made two of us.

"Ah ah ah, Bella, let's not be hasty. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her would you?"

Silence.

"Good. Now, do you remember that old dance studio, just around the corner from your house?"

"Yes."

"That will be where you will find me." Me and only me, not your mother as you suspect. "Try to make it here within a few minutes Bella. Your mother is a very hot-tempered lady. I would hate for her to have an accident, due to her irritability. Let's get this over with shall we?" I smirked. This was going to be fun, and definitely _not_ fast. Getting it over with was not a priority. The slower, the better, the more material for my film.

She let out a gasp and slammed the phone into the receiver. Apparently, she was appalled at the thought of me threatening her mother. Of course, the only reason for me doing so was to hasten her response. The minutes were counting down to Bella's doom.


	5. AN

Author's note:

I hate these things. Anyway, I apologize for being unfaithful to my promise in not updating often. It's just that I need the Twilight book and it's unavailable at the moment. I am quoting the dialogue at the end. There will be 2 more chapters posted and then the story will be complete. I am half way through the fifth chapter. It is pretty long. So, I _think_ that it will be posted by the middle of next week. If not, I apologize in advance. I have a lot of homework to be done and procrastination is an obstacle in my way. So, yeah, I am sorry and I will get to work. My friend "you know who you are" keeps threatening to slap me so I better get at it. ;-)


	6. Chapter 5

**Ready? Okay! Back to the story!**

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Disclaimer: okay, so this is the deal. I am not Stephenie Meyer and I don't own her books. I can only gawk at her awesomeness.

Chapter 5

Bella stepped into the studio and sounded out of breath. Typical Bella, rushing to her loved ones. If only one of them were here. Her footsteps grew closer. They sounded hesitant at the door. Well, at least I wouldn't have to instruct her to come in. She slowly opened the door to the now playing video. I thought that she should hear the part of the tape that lured her here. Her mother's concerned voice rang out in the silence.

"Bella, Bella! Don't you ever do that to me again!"

I pressed stop when I was sure she'd seen enough and the screen turned blue. She turned slowly to see me standing still. We stared at each other for about 12 seconds, then I smiled. I walked by her, close enough to catch her aroma, and as I put the remote down next to the VCR, she turned to watch me.

"Sorry about that, Bella, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?" I asked, kindly, leading her into a false sense of security.

I could almost hear the click in her mind when she put together the facts. She had been brought here on the false supposition that her mother was in fatal danger.

"Yes." she answered, relieved.

"You don't sound angry that I tricked you." I said, dumbing my vocabulary down a bit, making the scene a little bit more comfortable for her.

"I'm not." she replied. Her heart beats didn't quicken like they would have if she'd lied.

"How odd. You really mean it." I eyed her curiously. "I will give your strange coven this much, you humans can be quite interesting. I guess I can see the draw of observing you. It's amazing—some of you seem to have no sense of your own self-interest at all."

I was still curious about the human before me. Bella. She was so selfless. If my heart had still beat, I might have felt a twinge of guilt for what I was about to do. Of course, that's if, and only if.

"I suppose you're going to tell me your boyfriend will avenge you?" I'd hoped. I'd wanted him to find her here, lifeless and pale, limp on the floor. I'd wanted him to find this video of her last few minutes alive, last minutes that he could never get back.

"No, I don't think so. At least, I told him not to."

"And what was his reply to that?" I wondered. I wanted something to come out of her mouth that sounded like concern. Her bravery was not something that I'd planned. It ruined the mood.

"I don't know." she paused, she seemed comfortable around me. _Not for long_ were my only thoughts.

"I left him a letter." she stated. I could tell by her inconsistent heart beats that she wanted to see him. Badly.

"How romantic, a last letter. And do you think he will honor it?" I asked, slightly annoyed. I was trying to play her emotions now, get ready for the panic. Confusion is always a start, and a good one at that, for the rush of emotions in the state of panic.

"I hope so."

"Hmmm. Well, our hopes differ then. You see, this was all just a little too easy, too quick. To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expected a much greater challenge. And, after all, I only needed a little luck."

She waited in silence. I continued.

"When Victoria couldn't get to your father, I had her find out more about you. There was no sense in running all over the planet chasing you down when I could comfortably wait for you in a place of my choosing. So, after I talked to Victoria, I decided to come to Phoenix to pay your mother a visit. I'd heard you say you were going home. At first, I never dreamed you meant it. But then I wondered. Humans can be very predictable; they like to be somewhere familiar, somewhere safe. And wouldn't it be the perfect ploy, to go to the last place you should be when you're hiding—the place you said you'd be.

"But of course I wasn't sure, it was just a hunch. I usually get a feeling about the prey that I'm hunting, a sixth sense, if you will. I listened to your message when I got to your mother's house, but of course I couldn't be sure where you'd called from. It was very useful to have your number, but you could have been in Antarctica for all I knew, and the game wouldn't work unless you were close by.

"Then your boyfriend cot on a plane to Phoenix. Victoria was monitoring them for me, naturally; in a game with this many players, I couldn't be working alone. And so they told me what I'd hoped, that you were here after all. I was prepared; I'd already been through your charming home movies. And then it was simply a matter of the bluff.

"Very easy, you know, not really up to my standards. So, you see, I'm hoping you're wrong about your boyfriend. Edward, isn't it?"

She didn't answer. I was coming to the end of my gloat. It wasn't for her anyway, so what did it matter that she didn't answer? I had to get her to talk though, to prove that I wasn't talking to a brick wall.

"Would you mind, very much, if I left a little litter of my own for your Edward?" I took a step back and motioned toward my digital camera. It was on top of the stereo. I saw the reflection of the blinking red light in her eyes and I inwardly smiled. I adjusted it a few times so that it would catch the big picture of her demise. She stared at me in horror, the reaction that I was hoping for.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'll be able to resist hunting me after he sees this. And I wouldn't want him to miss anything. It was all for him, of course. You're simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd, I might add."

I stepped closer to her, smiling externally now. "Before we begin…"

I heard her heart flutter as though she was nauseous. She got a confused twinge mixed in with the already existing fear on her face. Oh, goodie.

"I would just like to rub it in, just a little bit. The answer was there all along, and I was so afraid Edward would see that and ruin my fun. It happened once, oh, ages ago. The one and only time my prey escaped me.

"You see, the vampire who was so stupidly fond of this little victim made the choice your Edward was too weak to make. When the old one knew I was after his little friend, he stole her from the asylum where he worked—I _never_ will understand the obsession some vampires seem to form with you humans—and as soon as he freed her he made her safe. She didn't even seem to notice the pain, poor little creature. She'd been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long. A hundred years earlier and she would have been burned at the stake for her visions. In the 1920s it was the asylum and the shock treatments. When she opened her eyes, strong with her fresh youth, it was like she'd never seen the sun before. The old vampire made her a strong new vampire, and there was no reason for me to touch her then." I sighed. "I destroyed the old one in vengeance."

"Alice," She breathed, astonished. That internal smirk reappeared.

"Yes, your little friend. I _was_ surprised to see her in the clearing. So I guess her coven ought to be able to derive some comfort from this experience. I get you, but they get her. The one victim who escaped me, quite an honor, actually.

"And she did smell so delicious. I still regret that I never got to taste…" I felt the venom salivating into my mouth. "She smelled even better than you do. Sorry—I don't mean to be

offensive. You have a very nice smell. Floral, somehow…" I said, hearing her heart rate accelerate. I couldn't wait till I sank my teeth and her warm blood pulsed into my mouth, grazing my teeth, running down my throat, quenching the itch that resided there. I could almost taste it, outstripping the smell tenfold, gliding across my tongue. But enough of this… this, fantasizing.

Not consciously doing so, I took another step toward her, till I was just inches away. I then, snapping back to reality from my daze, lifted a lock of her hair and sniffed at it delicately. I gently patted the strand back into place, brushing my cool fingers against her throat. She felt so warm. I could feel the blood racing in her jugular. Just a few more minutes….

I stroked her cheek with my thumb, trying to sense a panic.

"No," I murmured to myself as I dropped my hand. "I don't understand." I sighed. "Well, I suppose we should get on with it. And then I can call your friends and tell them where to find you, and my little message."

Her complexion looked a little green. She was sure to be feeling sick. Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for, but I could make due. Her knees began to tremble. Now we're getting somewhere. I stepped back and began to circle, casually, of course.

I crouched forward, my smile growing, not into a smile, but as a showcase of teeth, glistening with the venom and what limited light there was, yet another effect for the camera.

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**So, I've been told that this is a cliffhanger. Haha! to tell you the truth, I borrowed the book from a friend, and I could only use it for a day before I had to give it back. This is all I got. But, my friend, you know who you are (that's her name now), has it. I _will_ get it, whether by force, bribe (not likely, don't count on it, Megan), or the puppy-dog pout. But, you know who you are will cave, and I will update soon.**

**C'mon, you know you wanna hit that shiny, little button at the bottom of the page. C'mon, hit the 'Go' button. I'll give you a cookie! Pweez? PWEEZ!?**

**Okay, so no cookies, but... uhh... hmmm... how about a 'Thank You'?**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own noffin! You can't prove it! NO!**

Chapter 6

She started running. How fun.

She bolted for the emergency door, fear and panic in her eyes. Good. Adrenaline makes 'em taste better.

This was going to be easy. I was in front of her in a flash. I leaned back and side kicked her in the chest. She flew back and hit her head, along with the upper part of her back, on the mirrored wall. I hope the camera caught that. There was also a loud crunch as the mirrors crumbled, showering her with shards of broken glass.

She looked stunned. I straightened myself out from my previous stance and listened for unusual breathing. Nothing. But, I did hear her heart beating.

I slowly walked towards her.

"That's a very nice effect," I said, my voice friendly again. "I thought this room would be visually dramatic for my little film. That's why I picked this place to meet you. It's perfect, isn't it?"

She ignored me, crawling like the insignificant creature she was toward the door.

I wasn't having that.

I was over her at once, stepping down on her leg enough to break it, but not enough to make the severed bone protrude from her flesh. The snap, loud enough to be caught by the camcorder, made her face twist in anguish, before contorting with true pain. Such sweet sorrow. More sweet than sorrow on my part, but you get my point.

She screamed bloody murder, appropriately enough, and I couldn't help the grin that spread over my face. She twisted up to reach for her leg and stopped when she saw me; standing over her, smiling.

"Would you like to rethink your last request?" I asked pleasantly, taunting her. My toe nudged her broken leg and my grin grew wider when she let out a piercing scream.

"Wouldn't you rather have Edward try to find me?" I prompted.

"No!" she croaked. "No, Edward, don't—" I snap kicked her in the face, just above the chin. Again, she flew back into the mirrors. I didn't want her to ruin my movie by pleading Edward not to come find me.

Oh, oh no. This was not good. A head injury. Her blood called to me, urging me to take her life. Head injuries bleed a lot more than others. Her blood soaked her shirt and dripped off of the short sleeve onto the wood floor.

My eyes glowed with a thirst, raging and nearly overpowering my self-control. I couldn't draw this out much longer. This was supposed to torture her, not me.

I could tell that the blood-loss was getting to her. Her eyes were starting to flutter shut. No! This could not happen. She needed to be conscious for this. To top it off, my blood-lust overtook me and I let out a snarl. It was not a controlled snarl; it was an instinctive snarl, the growl of the hunter.

I sprang at her, teeth bared, ready to receive the warm rush of blood grazing over them when they punctured her skin. I was aiming for her neck when she slightly slumped and covered my target with her hand as a last resort.

My teeth cut her palm and I felt the venom seeping out of my mouth into her blood, now rushing into my mouth. I urged the blood onward, when I heard another fierce growl. I realized it wasn't mine. Edward. I looked up and saw him at the entrance to the room.

His eyes were dark, no doubt thirsty. Whether for the blood covering the landscape, or for my demise, he yearned for something.

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**Sorry it was so short, guys. It's got drama, right? That's good. Hey, other friend You Know Who You Are who doesn't know where the review button is! I know where it is. I know that you don't know where it is. I know I'm gunna show you where it is.**

**It's the perywinkle button below.**

**It's right here. To the right... down... GOOD! Now, press it!**


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: You know the drill….

Chapter 7

The next thing I knew was a feeling of pure pain. I was interrupted from my pleasure by the stone-cold hands of Jasper and this "brother", Emmett. They ripped me from the unconscious body of Bella. Jasper tore my right arm from the rest of me and soon after, Emmett did the same with my left.

I was too caught up in the moment to notice their entrance. I was caught off-guard and that was my downfall.

I knew that I should have paid closer attention to my surroundings, but the smell of Bella's blood was driving me mad. The scent intruded into my nostrils and clouded my better judgment, awakening the predator's instincts in me.

I tired with all of my might to fling the Cullens off of me. I wanted to return to Bella, to drain her dry. I had gotten a taste, but I was hooked. She was like a drug, physically addicting.

I rushed forward and then suddenly stopped, using that momentum to launch me into a back-tuck. I soared over the two vampires, but they poured on the speed and met me when I touched ground. They regained their grip on me. I must say, tearing my arms off was not very smart of them. They had trouble keeping hold of me. Emmett was holding my torso and Jasper did a low roundhouse kick to the back of my legs, knocking me off-balance and onto the floor.

That's when they decided that my legs just had to go. I saw Edward in the corner attending to Bella with the aid of Alice and Carlisle. When Emmett tore my left leg off, it only slightly distracted me from the combined scent of Alice and Bella. Bella, her blood on the floor, and Alice, even though she had no blood pulsing through her, still smelled exquisite. The enhancement of the being a vampire only deepened my thirst. I didn't 

care that Jasper had just severed my right leg, or that they were hoisting me up to better position me to snap my head off. I wanted Bella. I needed to finish what I had started.

I could still control my severed limbs. I tried to trip Emmett while he was holding me. If I could just get him to drop me… my distraction didn't work. I got my other arm to grab my right leg and swing it, trying once again to trip the big oaf that was holding me. The other, less big oaf was making a grab at my head, moving to rip it off. I kept thrashing about, trying to break free.

I thrashed right into Jasper's hands. With a quick jerk my head was ripped from my body. I was still contemplating how to get over to Bella, and how to quench the thirst, when my only mode of transportation -myself- was sprawled around me. The part of me that was still making sense said it was over. The other part still wanted to try.

That's when I heard the most sickening sound I had ever heard. I put fear right in me. You know that part that was still making sense? It was expecting this. The other, more instinctual part was scared.

It was the sound of a pocket lighter sparking to life.

The next thing I knew, I –the pieces of me, anyway- were being piled on top of each other, my head on top. It was a nice lighter, but that was the last thing that should have been on my mind. I caught fire immediately. The last thing I saw was Bella coming around.

I had failed.

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**Well, I hope you liked it. My friend sent me a message that said she'd slap me if I didn't wrap this up soon. I finished it! WOO!!**

**It's a little ADD-ish, but that's because I was reading a book that has a different style of writing than what James would do, so I kinda got a little cornfuzzled.**

**So, to all of my fans, THANK YOU!!**

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**KdMac**


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